THE TET OFFENSIVE AS A MEDIA WAR

Mehmetcan Giritli

Section: 45

“ THE TET OFFENSIVE AS A MEDIA WAR ”

No one can deny the importance of media in our lives. It has the power to reach millions of people and great influence on us. I believe if there wouldn’t be media, Vietnamese wouldn’t be able to win a political and psychological victory against USA. Because of that reason tet offensive is nothing more than a media war!

The starting point of all the events goes as far back to the 1945s. Between 1945 and 1956 there was a war between France and Vietnam. The war ended with the defeat of French army and in the end Vietnam became communist society. However USA was a great defender of capitalism and also US government feared of spreading communism, so they were against Vietnam. Immediately the United States developed a policy against communist countries. On that point President Eisenhower stated “The Domino Theory” “You have a row of dominoes set up: you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is that it will go over very quickly.” President Dwight Eisenhower

They thought that if Vietnam would fall down, Laos , Combadia, Thailand, Burma and India will fall as well. In consequences; the conflict of ideology among the states and the communist countries aroused to the Vietnam War.

By the time USA far more engulfed to war that they were expected before. US has almost 525.000 men in Vietnam in1968, but they still couldn’t overcome the Vietcong’s. In this paradoxical situation; if America would send it’s troops to Vietnam the rebellions against war would raise all around the country. On the other hand they wouldn’t withdrew from Vietnam because US government bewared of reactions which could came from other countries around the world and also the US nations reactions. In addition to this US government had also feared of spreading communism “....If we withdrew from Vietnam, the Communists would control Vietnam. Pretty soon Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaya would go.” Said President Kennedy on September 2, 1963. Therefore the war between Vietnam and USA was reaching a “stalemate” situation.

On that point General Giap had considered that something needed to be done. In military operations nothing is more important than surprise. He made secret plan such as moving a part of their army which was consisting of 70.000 soldiers and lots of ammunitions to 1000 miles away by passing through jungles which were in Laos and Combodia to the battle field, without being realized by any of the American soldiers. Giap had set the minimum and maximum objectives for the attack.

As a minimum, the Tet outbreak would force the American into negotiations; because he knows that if they succeeded USA nation would learn the truth about their president , that he has been fooling his people by saying, USA is winning the war, this would cause, mistrustfulness, uneasiness and rebellions in the country. The Vietcong’s were aware of these points and, they used media, in order to create these events. And also they aware that for the US army, government and all the Americans the outbreak will be a great surprise. By this way they wanted to show the whole world what they can do. On the other hand As a maximum, the offensive could drive the Americans out of Vietnam. Out of this report arose the plans for the Tet Offensive Vietcong leaders had carried out a big propaganda campaign in order to prepare their forces.

On January 30, 1968 the offensive had begun.

The attack was unexpected, therefore both American army and nation stunned. It took two weeks for the US army to drive back the attack, By media, the Americans for the first time at home saw the dead bodies spread all around the streets. They saw the truths of the war. After all those happened; American society and politics understood that the war was unwinnable.

“For the first time in a major war, television played a crucial role. Dead bodies lay amid the rubble and rattle of automatic gunfire as dazed American soldiers and civilians ran back and forth, trying to flush out the assailants. Americans at home saw the carnage wrought by the offensive.” Stanley Karnow

The outbreak has very destructive consequences for the both sides as there was a great loss of citizens and 6,000 US soldiers.

“Although the offensive was not military successful for the Vietnamese communist, it was a political and psychological victory for them. It dramatically contracted optimistic claims by the USA government that the war had already been won.” J.J.Wirtz

The Tet Offensive is seen as a great turning point from the war. In United States all the nation became confused and stunned after these developments .They had lost their faith to their army and government. Americans begun to get organize against the war. Rebellions started, there were public meetings everywhere, and wave of protests was spreading all around the country. Us government couldn’t put up to coming pressure and in 1973 begun to insist of withdrawing from the battle. The media had played an important role on these developments by showing the truths to the American nation.

After that Americans had spend 140 billion dollars away and dropped more than 7 million tons of bombs and more than 58,000 American soldiers and 2.6 million Vietnamese was dead, the war ends when the communists took Saigon in 1975.

In consequences; in those time United States considered that they were the most powerful and privileged country. However, by the influence of media Vietnamese reached which they couldn’t succeeded on battlefield and drive the American out of the Vietnam at the and show that the USA weren’t as powerful as they thought and privileged. They conquered the castle from inside by using the media and psychology of the people and gained the victory.

Work cited

· http://www.vwam.com/vets/tet/tet.html

· http://www.marxist.com/1968/vietnam.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/107ts.html

· http://www.factmonster.com/cgi-bin/id/CE051338

· http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/tetintel.html

· The course book

· Britannica encyclopedia cover:19 pp.10-14